School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery
The Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at UW SMPH
In 1930, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Oto-HNS) was founded as a division within the University of Wisconsin Department of Surgery. In 2025, after decades of growth and achievement, the division became an independent department within the School of Medicine and Public Health.
The Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (DOHNS) includes seven divisions: Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery, Otology and Neurotology, Laryngology, Pediatric Otolaryngology, Comprehensive Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery, and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. DOHNS faculty and multidisciplinary colleagues provide a full range of state-of-the-art specialized tertiary and quaternary care for adults and children throughout the Midwest.
Education within the Department includes medical student electives and sub-internships, an ACGME accredited residency
program (current complement: 4 residents per year), fellowships in Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction, Laryngology, and Speech-Language Pathology, and an Audiology clinical externship.
DOHNS offers an exceptional environment for academic discovery, innovation, and career development. Consistently ranked among the nation’s leading otolaryngology departments in NIH funding, the Department maintains a robust and growing research enterprise supported by nearly 30 active extramural grants, including multiple R01 and R01-equivalent awards as well as F31, F32, and T32 training grants. Faculty investigators lead programs spanning basic science, translational research, health services and outcomes research, clinical trials, and medical education, creating abundant opportunities for collaboration and scientific advancement.
The Department is home to nationally recognized research programs, including participation in the Wisconsin Head and Neck Cancer SPORE and the nation’s only federally funded Voice Research Training Program. Investigators work across a broad range of disciplines, including head and neck cancer, hearing and balance disorders, voice and swallowing, regenerative medicine, biomedical engineering, and skull base disease, leveraging the extensive research infrastructure and collaborative culture of the University of Wisconsin. Faculty produced more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in 2024, reflecting the Department’s strong commitment to discovery and academic excellence.
For candidates pursuing a research-intensive academic career, the University of Wisconsin provides a uniquely supportive environment in which to develop and expand an independent research portfolio. The successful Division Chief will have the opportunity to build on an established culture of scientific excellence, collaborate with leading investigators across the School of Medicine and Public Health and the broader UW campus, and further strengthen the Department’s national reputation as a leader in otolaryngology research and innovation.